Ethan Morton won't tell these stories about himself—the ones college coaches fly across the county to hear—so Butler Area High School coach Matt Clement steps up.

Last January, Morton scheduled a Saturday trip to Columbus, Ohio, for a game between Ohio State and then-No. 1 Michigan State. He showed up at Clement's house, which features a small home gym, for a 5 a.m. workout before hitting the road.

When Morton received an invitation to the NBPA Top 100 camp—an annual showcase for top high school talent from around the country—he hesitated. Butler Area had a team camp the same weekend, and Morton didn't want to ditch his squad.

"I said 'Dude, you're going to that camp,' " Clement said. "But that's the type of person you're dealing with. It's why the coaches who are recruiting him are so excited about him."

Morton, a 6-5, 200-pound guard, begins his junior season as the No. 51 player nationally in the 24/7 Sports composite. The same site ranks him as the top Pennsylvania recruit in the 2020 class.

He's be back on the road this month, taking advantage of a recent NCAA rule change with official visits to Purdue this weekend and Indiana next weekend. USA Basketball invited him to its Junior National Team minicamp in October.

Morton laughs a bit when asked about those stories Clement tells. He's not out to craft a legend.

"That's not my M.O.," Morton said. "I'm just going to do it because I always want to be a better player and that's the price you've got to pay sometimes."

While Morton's versatility and size give him options at the college level, he runs the point for Clement's Golden Tornado team. He's a skilled passer known to spend six hours a day or more working out, takes notes during frequent individual film sessions and ranks second academically in a class of 700.

Sound familiar?

Yes, the name Dakota Mathias quickly came out of Purdue coaches' mouths. Morton appreciates that comparison, though he sees more of a mirror image. While Mathias built a reputation as a high-level perimeter shooter and scorer, Morton considers himself more of a facilitator and playmaker.

In terms of time management and attention to detail, the resemblance is uncanny. Clement said Morton is "blessed with a guilty conscience" when it comes to workout diligence.

"The better you get the harder it is to get better and the less separation there is," Morton said.

Clement can relate to the growing spotlight around Morton. The star Butler Area athlete was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the third round of the 1993 major league draft. He said his parents left the decision up to him, so he skipped college and embarked on a professional career that culminated in nine big-league seasons and an All-Star appearance in 2005.

Clement took over as Butler Area's basketball coach in 2009, around the same time his son, Mattix, began playing on youth teams with Morton. As Morton has grown and progressed, Clement said he's tried to act more as a sounding board than a source of sage advice.

It helps that Morton is so engaged in his own recruiting process. He wants to take visits now—both officials and unofficials—to alleviate travel during the high school season. He scheduled an official visit to Stanford for October since such west coast trips are almost impossible during the high school season.

Morton stressed that these early official visits are not necessarily an indication of front-runners. They more reflected which schools first contacted him about taking the visits, and which ones fit in his family's schedule.

This weekend's visit will be his third to Purdue after twice visiting campus last season.

"I love these guys," Morton said of Purdue. "Every staff is great, but they're very down to earth and obviously the program has had a lot of success with guys who are similar to me."

Morton mentioned academics as another factor in Purdue's favor. He already brings a studious approach to basketball. He said he's only a few games into his review of last season, and he's taking notes on little breakdowns or where he believes he lost focus or let an opponent get in his head.

Add that to the list of stories that will draw college coaches back to Butler Area's gymnasium all winter.

"Multiple coaches have said, 'What is he thinking about majoring in other than being a coach,' because he's going to be a coach," Clement said.

"There's no doubt in my mind he'll be a Division I college basketball coach when he's done, if he wants to be. He sees things before everybody else does."

Nathan Baird reports on Purdue basketball for the Journal & Courier. Contact him at 765-420-5234 or nbaird@jconline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @nbairdjc